Page 62 - Green Builder September-October 2018 Issue

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SMART CITIES

leading research in 3D printing of
buildings (and other construction
elements); moisture and moisture-
related building and air quality
issues; radiation/radon issues; and
air quality/human healthy buildings
issues. I will be detailing my e†orts
with CERL and the Army Corps of
Engineers in future articles.

THE REALITY OF CLEAN AIR
I think that many of us assumed and
may still assume that the outside air
that we breathe is clean, and that our
inside air is not contributing to health
problems. I suggest that we check to
make sure. Studies are showing that
we can’t see or smell some of the most
dangerous elements in our air. The
building industry can benefit from
reconsidering our role in creating
CREDIT: DAVID STEELEFLICKR
Dark and dangerous. Leaking water within houses and buildings that beneˆt from
our knowledge about fresh air, clean air
a roof can lead to mold, which can create and air quality, and to verify that our
an airborne health hazard inside any home. buildings are, in fact, healthy buildings.
We need to know how to detect and
measure problems and be able to show that we have mitigated any
THE EPA known problems during the creation of a house or building.
The EPA (Environmental In other countries like Bangladesh and India, there may be
Protection Agency) is also in- asphalt plants or brick kilns in or near inhabited areas that
volved. Under the Clean Air
CREDIT: FAMILY SAFETY PRODUCTS Act (CAA), the EPA sets limits would hope for. Also, however, in the U.S. any house located
hinder outside air quality and make it not the “fresh air” one
on certain air pollutants in the
near a freeway may have outside air quality that is not healthy.
United States. The CAA also
Measuring and knowing outside and indoor air quality will take
gives EPA the authority to
the guesswork out of the environmental effects on our health.
Successful green building can address air quality on each of our
limit emissions of air pollut-
ants coming from sources like projects, for the sake of the e†ects on human health in our buildings.
chemical plants, utilities and We can begin to understand more completely and address this for
steel mills. Individual states or the sake of all of our businesses and clients.
tribes may have stronger air For existing homes and buildings, products that measure air
pollution laws, but they may quality are becoming available. I will detail more about the new
Quiet assassin. Radon gas is a not have weaker pollution devices and companies focused on this issue in a future article.
less-recognized threat to household
air quality, but it could be a limits than those set by EPA. Good air quality in the houses and buildings that we design and
nightmare for space-faring The EPA recently categorized build doesn’t happen by accident. We can succeed in this area by
colonists when combined with solar radon as the second-leading knowing what to do. It is an area that will be taking on even more
radiation. cause of lung cancer as well. importance in the very near future. GB

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING RESEARCH LAB (CERL) Terry Beaubois is an architect in Palo Alto, Calif. He is CEO of
I also recently reconnected with Construction Engineering Research Building Knowledge Systems (BKS) LLC, and an adjunct lecturer
Lab (CERL) as a building industry resource. CERL is currently at Stanford University.

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